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PRATO, ITALY — At least seven people died and three were injured when a Chinese-owned
clothing factory in an industrial zone in the Italian town of Prato burned down yesterday, killing
workers trapped in an improvised dormitory built onsite.

Local media said 11 workers had been accommodated in a warren of small cardboard sleeping
compartments above a warehouse.

“This is a disgrace for all of us because we have to recognize this reality for what it is: the
biggest concentration of illegal employment in northern and central Italy,” said Enrico Rossi,
president of the region of Tuscany.

Prato is considered to have the highest concentration of Chinese immigrants in Italy, with at
least 15,000 legally registered in a total population of less than 200,000, according to official
data. Thousands more are believed to be living in the city illegally.